


No Strangers to Love

by starlightwalking



Series: A-Spectrum Anthology [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Aromantic Character, Aromantic Legolas, Embedded Images, F/M, Kiliel Week, Memes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2015-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-23 10:19:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4873072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightwalking/pseuds/starlightwalking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tauriel, Thranduil’s secretary, intercepts an unusual email from an intern at Oakenshield, Inc. Written for Kiliel Week on tumblr. Day 5: Favorite AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Strangers to Love

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been wanting an excuse to write this AU for *ages*. Now I finally have a reason to. Enjoy!!  
> this is a Kiliel fic but it also features some background Barduil and past Legolas/Tauriel.

“Oh, no, Kíli, _don’t_ —”

“Do it! Do it! Do it!”

“Kíli, please—”

“Do it! Do it! Do it! Do—”

Kíli laughed loudly, a broad grin spread across his face. “I’m _so_ gonna do it!”

“ _Kíli_ —” Ori protested. The young man hovered at Kíli’s shoulder anxiously, forever the responsible one. “Mr. Durin will be so mad—”

“Uncle won’t care,” a new voice piped up. Fíli hadn’t commented before, absorbed in his work at the computer. Now he spun his chair around to face the three younger boys. Gimli smirked and elbowed Ori roughly. He’d been encouraging Kíli all along, scoffing Ori’s doubts.

“See, Kíli, it’ll be _hilarious_ ,” Gimli said. “Come on! Send it!”

“You’ll get fired!” Ori protested.

Kíli snorted. “Yeah, right. Not with Uncle Thorin as my boss.” He moved his mouse over to the send button on the email, grinning even wider.

“Fíli, help me!” Ori begged the oldest person there.

Fíli laughed, smirking. “I wouldn’t do it, but...it _is_ pretty funny, Ori, you’ve got to admit it.”

“Do it! Do it! Do it!” Gimli chanted.

“Here goes!” Kíli said, pressing send.

Ori groaned, putting his face in his hands. “Ohhh, Thranduil will be _so_ mad...”

* * *

 

It was just another day at the office for Tauriel. Sort through files, send two thirds of Thranduil’s emails into the trash folder, make phone calls, and of course, spend time avoiding her ex. Legolas was her boss’s son, though, and a coworker, which...complicated things.

It’s not like she hadn’t seen the breakup coming. She’d been heading that way herself: she just wasn’t interested in him anymore. The relationship had been his idea, anyway, and it wasn’t like they’d been together very long, only two months.

Still, breakups hurt, especially when this one hadn’t been her gently breaking the bad news to him, but him sending her an abrupt text.

 **Legolas:** sorry. I don’t think it’ll work between us. I don’t want to date you anymore.

Thinking about it, Tauriel gritted her teeth. It had all gone so wrong. Not only that, but she’d not spoken to him since, though not for lack of trying. At first she’d sent him several confused texts, but he had never responded, and so it had become a game of who’s-gonna-break-this-awkward-silence-first-I’m-not-going-to-are-you?

It hurts to lose Legolas as a friend, too. That’s what they always been before they’d dated, and their romantic relationship had been mostly their friendship plus some kissing and Valentine’s Day cards. It was weird—he’d been trying to act all lovey-dovey on her, but sometimes he seemed to just...forget he liked her romantically. She missed him—but there was no way she was going to confront him about this whole mess. It was _his_ fault; let him clean it up.

Tauriel sighed, shaking her head. Whatever. She had other things to think about right now. Thranduil was preparing for a big business meeting with Mr. Bard Bowman later this afternoon. She was in charge of taking notes and making sure everyone who needed to be there was there.

She sent out a confirmation email to everyone who had planned on attending. She sipped at some coffee, refreshing her email—well, _Thranduil’s_ email. She was sorting through his company account right now, though she had her own company email open in another tab.

She set down her coffee and blinked as she noticed a new email among the flood of replies. She frowned. This one seemed to be from someone named “Kíli Durin”. Durin...where had she heard that name before?

Oh, yes. She remembered now. Thorin Durin ran OakenShield, Inc., a rival company across town. Relationships between Greenwood Enterprises and OakenShield had rarely been good, at least not since Greenwood had declined to help OakenShield out during the recession. Why would they be emailing now?

Curious, Tauriel clicked on the email.

 _Mr. Thranduil,_ it read,

_Glad to talk to you. Here’s a[link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ) to some business opportunities I think you might be interested in._

_Thanks,_  
_Thorin Durin._

Tauriel’s pointer hovered over the link. This whole thing seemed pretty shady. Why was OakenShield emailing now? Thranduil hadn’t been talking to them as the message implied; she would have known, as she was in charge of his company communications. She didn’t trust the shoddy writing of the email, or the YouTube video the link led to. She was hesitant to click on the link—what if it was a prank? What if it was a scam or a virus? And why was the email sent by a Kíli but signed as a Thorin?

Or what if she was being silly and overreacting?

What the hell, she thought, and clicked the link.

Immediately, the video loaded, and suddenly cheesy 90’s music blared out of her speakers. Rick Astley began to sing and dance, and Tauriel groaned audibly.

 _“We’re no strangers to loo-oo-oove,”_ Rick Astley crooned. _“You know the rules, and so do I!”_

Before he could go on, and before her coworkers wondered why she was on YouTube while at work, she clicked out of the tab. It was just a meme.

Who knew Thorin Durin had a sense of humor, trying to rickroll Thranduil? Well, not Thorin, more likely, but whoever this “Kíli” figure was. She was glad Kíli’s attempt to rickroll Mr. Thranduil had been unsuccessful—it would have been embarrassing to explain.

A coworker poked his head into the room. “Uhh...Tauriel? Was that...Rick Astley?’

She blushed. Well, she’d saved herself from embarrassing herself in front of her boss, if not her coworkers. She regretted not having plugged in some headphones before clicking on the link.

“It’s nothing, Feren,” she said, waving a hand at him. “Just a prank I fell for. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

“Alright.” Feren left. Tauriel, still with pink cheeks, turned back to her computer She considered just ignoring the email, but she had an idea.

Smiling mischievously, she began tying an email in reply.

* * *

Things had returned to normal in the interns’ office at OakenShield headquarters. Fíli answered phone calls, Ori ran errands and hung around their office during his downtime, Gimli filed papers, and Kíli sorted through company emails. Occasionally, Gimli would glance over to him and mouth the words to “Never Gonna Give You Up”, and Kíli would giggle at the thought of Thranduil opening the email and clicking on the link, being treated to his first ever rickroll. No doubt Ori would tell on him to Uncle Thorin, but a scolding would be worth the pleasure.

A little while later, he received an email he hadn’t been expecting: a reply. Wait—Thranduil had actually clicked on the link, and not dismissed it? And he’d bothered to reply? Ooooh, Kíli was in trouble now...but the image of his confusion and anger upon being rickrolled made Kíli grin again. He opened the email.

 _Dear Mr. Kíli,_ it began,

Wait...how had he known it wasn’t Thorin? He’d signed it as his uncle, not as himself!

_Since your concern was sent via your personal company account, it was easy to decipher that you were not, as you claimed to be, Thorin Durin._

Oh...he’d forgotten about that.

_Your email was very amusing and lightened my otherwise boring work day. Nonetheless, I must ask you not to interrupt Mr. Thranduil’s email inbox with Rick Astley in the future._

_My regards,_  
_Tauriel Gaelen_  
_Secretary to Mr. H. Thranduil._  
_taurielgaelen@greenwood.com_

 

Kíli couldn’t help it. He burst into laughter at his desk. Even if it hadn’t actually been Thranduil who had gotten the email, this was hilarious.

“What? What is it?” Fíli asked, spinning his chair around.

“Did Thranduil respond?” Gimli asked, grinning.

“Well—not really,” Kíli answered between laughs. “Here—read for yourself!”

The two boys read the email quickly, then joined in his laughter.

“I cannot _believe_...” Fíli said through gasps of laughter, “this girl sent you another _meme_...”

“For someone who works at Greenwood, she’s sure got a sense of humor!” Gimli agreed, wiping a tear away from his eye.

“Too bad I didn’t get to rickroll Thranduil,” Kíli said, “but this is just as good!”

“What’s going on here?” Ori demanded, returning to the desk after running an errand. “What’s so funny? Are you sending more irresponsible emails?”

“Check it out, Ori!” Gimli said, beckoning him closer.

After reading the reply, Ori heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness Thranduil didn’t actually get it,” he said. “That would have been disastrous for the whole company!”

“No, just funny,” Kíli corrected. “I should message her again—what’s another meme I could send?”

* * *

Tauriel received another email from Kíli Durin. She half-expected an apology, but it wasn’t. Well...not a sincere one, at least. This email came to her personal account, not to Thranduil’s.

_Miss Tauriel,_

_Sorry about earlier. Well only a little._  
_Hope you day is nice & FUNNY. haha._  


_thx,_  
_Kíli Durin_

She giggled. This was by far her most exciting work day in a long time. Well, did he want a meme battle? So be it.

* * *

_To: kílidurin@oakenshield.org  
_ _From: taurielgaelen@greenwood.com_

_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) if this to be a meme war ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) then i shall have the victory ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_

Upon receiving that short reply, Kíli laughed. Did she really think so? Well, he knew what he’d do next...

* * *

_To: taurielgaelen@greenwood.com  
_ _From: kílidurin@oakenshield.org_

  
_Sure, Jan._  
_u think ur gonna win??? think AGAIN!!_

Tauriel snorted. As if. She opened a new tab and began to google search for a proper response.

* * *

_To: kílidurin@oakenshield.org  
From: taurielgaelen@greenwood.com_

_AS IF! What makes you think that, n00b???_

Kíli shook his head. Really, he’d expected something a bit better than the ancient XD face from this meme-loving lady he’d stumbled upon. Well, he knew exactly how to respond to that...

* * *

_To: taurielgaelen@greenwood.com  
_ _From: kílidurin@oakenshield.org_

_ _

_Seriously that’s RUDE Tauriel. Gosh._

She snickered. This guy was quite a find. Well, there was another thing she had in mind...

* * *

When Kíli received Tauriel’s next email, he nearly choked on the pop he was drinking. This was nearly a full page of nyan cat gifs.

_think I’m gonna give up anytime soon???? think again :))))_

Gimli noticed him struggling with the pop, tears of laughter and discomfort in his eyes, and wandered over.

“What’s up, Kíli?” the redhead asked. Then he caught sight of the screen and burst into laughter, slapping Kíli on the back as he did so. “This woman is _amazing_ , Kí, oh my God...”

“I know,” he said through watering eyes. He coughed. “Can you p-please stop hitting my back? It’s already hard enough to b-breathe, I choked on my pop...”

“Sorry.”

Kíli caught his breath and shook his head to clear it. “What should I send her next?” he asked

“Have you sent her the lenny face?”

“No, she sent me that one.”

“Hmm...” Gimli thought about it, stroking his beard. “Hey! What about a Shia LeBouf meme?”

“You’re a genius, Gimli!”

* * *

Finally, Tauriel could take the curiosity no longer. This guy was such a nerd, and memes were just her kind of humor. Since she knew he worked in the same city as her—OakenShield was a local company, just like Greenwood—she decided she’d like to know some more about Kíli Durin, maybe even meet him.

She pulled out her phone and searched “Kíli Durin”. The images that came up surprised her. She’d half expected him to be some pasty white dweeb in his thirties, but, damn, he was hot, and looked to be about her age. His instagram showed pics of him and a blond guy with similar features (maybe a brother?), and another with a hairy ginger.

She looked back up to her computer screen and grinned as she saw his next email.

 _To: taurielgaelen@greenwood.com_  
_From: kílidurin@oakenshield.org_

_ _

_just DO IT!!! YOU KNOW I”M GONNA WIN!!!!_

Oh, did he really think she was going to give up? Smiling, she decided to do something a little rash, keep him on his toes.

Searching through pictures of various memes, she began to draft her next response in her head.

* * *

_To: kílidurin@oakenshield.org  
_ _From: taurielgaelen@greenwood.com_

_ _

_to go out with me maybe??_  
_well, you know, we’re no strangers to love, but hey...i looked u up on insta and not only are you funny, you’re also pretty cute. plus we live in the same city. do u like Olive Garden??? are you free Friday night? wanna hang??_

“Oh my God,” Kíli said, reading Tauriel’s email with wide eyes. Fíli and Gimli turned and gave him odd looks, but he ignored them. He quickly looked up her on insta too, and had he still been drinking he actually would have choked this time around. She looked to be about his age and was the picture of beauty, with long red hair, a dazzling smile, and sparkling green eyes...he was a bit lost.

“Who’s that?” Fíli asked, looking at his phone over his shoulder.

“That girl who works for Thranduil. We’ve been emailing each other memes for the past hour.”

“She’s pretty,” Gimli remarked, standing over his other shoulder. “Not really my type, but then who is?”

“She just asked me out,” Kíli added.

“No _way_!” Gimli shouted.

“Gimli, keep it down!” Ori scolded, popping his head back into their office. “Some people are trying to work here!”

“Sorry, sorry,” the redhead grumbled.

“So, did you say yes?” Fíli asked.

Kíli put his phone away and looked back up at his computer. “Not yet, but I’m totally going to.”

* * *

_To: taurielgaelen@greenwood.com  
_ _From: kílidurin@oakenshield.org_

_Yes!!! what time??_

Tauriel grinned. Kíli was too caught up in the date to even remember to send a meme. Did that mean she had won?

She typed up an email after quickly checking her schedule.

 _To: kílidurin@oakenshield.org_  
_From: taurielgaelen@greenwood.com_

 _How does 7:30 sound? text me to reply :)_  
_my number: 567 8987_  
_p.s. does this mean I’ve won the meme war??_

A little while later her phone buzzed. An unknown number had texted her.

 **8219463:** 7:30 is great! so you like italian food?  
**8219463:** btw i GUESS you win. i did kinda screw up there.

Kíli. Tauriel saved his number under “Meme Lord”, then answered.

 **Tauriel:** hahaha, what did I say??  >:)  
**Tauriel:** i mean, yeah, but i just kinda like olive garden. it’s not really that italian.  
**Meme Lord:** :P well don’t rub it in willya?  
**Meme Lord:** tru. well, I look forward to it!

She checked the time. She really needed to wrap up her work, as well as her conversation with Kíli. Thranduil’s meeting with Mr. Bowman was in only half an hour.

 **Tauriel:** ive gotta go. im still working. ttyl!

She turned off her phone and got to work.

* * *

Kíli had saved Tauriel into his contacts as “Ms. Astley”. He was disappointed that she had to go, but it reminded him that he had things to work on as well.

He turned to Fíli and Gimli and made two thumbs up. “It’s all good—Friday at 7:30!”

“Congrats, Kíli!” Gimli said.

Fíli winked at his brother. “Nice going, bro.”

“What’s this?” Ori sked. He had stopped by their office again. “Where are you going, Kíli?”

“On a date with the lady who intercepted my rickroll,” he explained. “See—aren’t you glad I sent it now, Ori?”

The small man rolled his eyes. “Just because it turned out well this time—”

“Come on, Ori,” Fíli said, slapping him lightly on the back. “Give it a rest!”

Ori sighed. “Fine! Congratulations, Kíli. I hope all of your reckless ventures are as successful as this one.” He paused. “Though I still wouldn’t have done it. Not even for a date.”

He flounced off, leaving the other three interns laughing.

* * *

After the meeting, Tauriel left the room and checked her phone. Nothing new from Kíli, only the “goodbye” from earlier. She smiled and put her phone back in her pocket.

As she did so, Legolas sat down next to her. She froze, surprised to see him after he’d been avoiding her for the past week.

“Well, that went well,” Legolas said, forcing cheer into his voice. “ _Really_ well. I think my dad might be a little bit in love with Mr. Bowman, actually. I mean, _look_.”

He pointed across the hall where Thranduil was speaking with Bard Bowman, his smile broader than any time Tauriel could remember. Bard seemed to like him, too; he kept putting one arm behind his neck and glancing away from her boss, as if nervous to make eye contact.

“If Dad asks him out on a date, I swear,” Legolas continued, chuckling. “That’d put a whole nother dynamic into business meetings, for sure.”

Tauriel nodded, feeling uncomfortable. The small talk was a pretense, she could tell. Or maybe it wasn’t. Was he just going to ignore that he’d broken up with her with no warning or explanation? Was he trying to pretend he hadn’t been ignoring her for the past week? Did he want to get back together? She’d have to tell him no. She was already going on a date with another guy later that week—and besides, he was more of a friend to her than anything.

“So...” she began awkwardly. “It’s...nice to talk to you again. Have you decided to stop ignoring me?”

Legolas blushed, a flustered smile crossing his face. “I...well...I’m sorry, Tauriel. I shouldn’t have done that. And...I’m sorry for ending it like I did.”

“If you want to get back together, I—” she began.

“No!” he interrupted. “No, actually. I don’t. At all. See, Tauriel, I—” He paused, looking at his hands. Then he took a deep breath and continued, “I actually recently realized...I’m aromantic.” He looked up at her, his eyes wide. His mouth was an uncertain frown, begging her to please understand.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. That was a surprise. She’d heard of the term before, but she’d never actually known someone who was aro. “So... _that’s_ why you broke up with me? Because you’re not in love with me?”

“Or anyone,” he admitted. “Are you—mad?”

“No!” she said. “No, of course not! That’s—that’s great, Legolas! I was actually heading to breaking up too, you’re more of a friend than a boyfriend to me. But...why didn’t you just tell me you were aro, instead of leaving it hanging?”

He shrugged, glancing away. “I was nervous. I thought you might be mad, or hurt, or...I don’t know. Coming out is scary, even if it’s to someone you trust. You’re the first person I’ve told. Except for my online friend, Gimli. So first person in real life.”

“Not even your dad?” she asked. Suddenly, she felt much better about the breakup—he didn’t hate her after all. He’d just been too nervous to come out to her. That was much better than hating her.

“I’ll tell him eventually,” he said, smiling. He looked as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “He’ll be fine with it, I think—I mean, he’s bi.” Legolas glanced over his shoulder to where Thranduil and Bard were still chatting. “God—I think maybe he will ask him out.”

“I’m going out with a guy this Friday,” she blurted out. “Kíli Durin. We’ve been messaging each other memes all day.”

“Ohhh, so _that’s_ why Feren said you were listening to Never Gonna Give You Up,” Legolas exclaimed.

“Yeah,” she said, a bit sheepishly.

“Well hey—good luck with this Kíli guy!” Legolas said. “As for me—my romantic adventures are over. Thank God. I never understood romance anyway, just kept mixing it up with friendship...”

Tauriel laughed. “Well, I’m proud of you, Legolas. Still friends?”

“Of course,” he said firmly. He glanced over to Thranduil and Bard again. “I’d better go talk to Dad before he decides to propose. See you later, Tauriel!”

“Bye, Legolas!” she called to him as he got up. She grinned. Well, that awkwardness was over.

Her phone buzzed. She checked it. It was Kíli—he’d sent her a picture of his family’s cat, Smaug.

**Meme Lord:** he’s a bit of a grump, but he’s so cute!!

She smiled. This new guy was already turning out to be quite a catch. Cute, silly, _and_ he liked cats? She only hoped he’d live up to her expectations in real life.

Who would’ve known what would come from a stupid little rickroll?


End file.
